The wireless communications network has grown exponentially over the years. A Long-Term Evolution (LTE) system offers high peak data rates, low latency, improved system capacity, and low operating cost resulting from simplified network architecture. LTE systems, also known as the 4G system, also provide seamless integration to older wireless network, such as GSM, CDMA and Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS). The 3rd generation partner project (3GPP) network normally includes a hybrid of 2G/3G/4G systems. With the optimization of the network design, many improvements have developed over the evolution of various standards.
The exponential growth of mobile subscribers requires substantial increase of network capacity. However, the capacity of a given network access technology network is limited by the laws of physics. The current cellular network deployed, such as 3G, LTE, LTE-A, suffers from limited licensed spectrum availability restraining the potential capacity increase. Small cell technologies, such as Wi-Fi WLAN, are ideally positioned to extend the current cellular network capacity. Wi-Fi appeals to many operators as a cost-effective mean of offloading large amounts of mobile data traffic, especially indoors where most of the traffic is generated. Operators are already taking advantage of devices supporting Wi-Fi as a tool to meet capacity demands by letting the user manually offload its traffic on standalone networks.
With the development of dual mode mobility devices, the focus of WLAN-cellular offload has evolved from purely static, manual, unsecure offloading traffic from cellular (e.g., 3G WCDMA HSPA or 4G LTE) to WLAN at the collocated UE/STA, to dynamic, automatic, secure, and seamless offloading and interworking between WLAN STA-AP systems and LTE UE-RAN-EPC networks, yet with mobility and roaming support between HPLMN and VPLMN. Assume that collocated cellular UE and WLAN STA chipsets, on a smart phone device for example, can coexist harmoniously in different bands without interfering with each other. Given this assumption, WLAN-cellular radio can be activated at the same time without much concern of cross-interference. Hence, intelligence is needed at the device to automatically decide in real time when to turn on both radios, in what order and to what benefit, and how to offload traffic in-between them or concurrently use the two radios for better user experience.
Today, most smart phones and tablets are equipped with multiple radio modules (e.g., Wi-Fi and 3G/4G radio) with internet connectivity of different capability and data plans. However, these radio resources are not being used in an efficient way. First, only one radio module can be used at the same time for packet data transmission. Second, long interruption time when changing from one radio network to another radio network (e.g., from 3G/4G to Wi-Fi). Third, bandwidth resource of different devices cannot be shared among devices even if they are collocated with each other.
A solution is sought.